Haniyeh calls on Fatah to renounce recognition of Israel

Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Friday called on Fatah to renounce their recognition of Israel. Haniyeh was addressing reporters following Friday prayers in Gaza.

His comments came on the background of Israel's denouncing the unity deal reached this week between Hamas and Fatah.

"The presence of the Zionist entity on our land is illegal and it is impossible to recognize it," Haniyeh stated. "Recognizing the Zionist entity cannot be justified after it rejected the rights of the Palestinians and the internal unity," he added.

Haniyeh said that he believed the deal between Hamas and Fatah would hold up this time because of the changing environment in the Arab world and the lessons learned from past experience.